I will never loan again

[peaceandquiet1]

I thought I had the perfect loan arrangement but I was wrong. A lame pony and a dispute, plus bad management and questionable veterinary decisions. never again. I will only sell.

 

[Perrie]

I will echo you on this.
I will NEVER ever loan my horses out again, at least when they are at home with me i know they are safe & loved.

OP- I hope your pony makes a full recovery.

XxX

 

[Paddydou]

I thought I had the perfect loan arrangement but I was wrong. A lame pony and a dispute, plus bad management and questionable veterinary decisions. never again. I will only sell.

I have loaned horses twice.

Never did get the first back and she did a bunk. I often wander about him. Nothing I can do about it. Was basically scammed. At least I know that she may be dishonest but she does look after her animals so I know wherever he is he will be being looked after. Others who knew me and knew what was happening also knew that she had done this before and said nothing. Not too happy about that but they felt that they would be interfering so can't blame anyone.

Second one was so badly beaten up by the womans other horse that I had to go and collect him again within 2 hours. Never seen a pony so glad to see his Mummy. She had failed to tell me the reason why her horse was on its own was because it was nasty to others and had only told me that he was desperate for company... Stupid stupid woman.

Never again.

 

[TheEquineOak]

How awful. I've loaned horses in the past but I've always had references. There are some great loaners out there, myself included. But there is a small minority of people that don't give a damn.

Keep us updated on your pony

xx

 

[sidesaddlegirl]

Sorry to hear about your pony, hope he makes a full revcovery!

Please don't think all of us loanees are bad though! Hattie is mine on loan and she has everything she can ever want, I have even ordered her a custom made side saddle for when my rib heals up! I wouldn't ever think to treat any horse badly mine or someone else's.

Like kaylouise67 said, it's the minority that spoil it for the majority.

 

[miss_bird]

There really are some good loaners out there as i have loaned a few of my horses out over years.
But oh boy have i met some evil, bitter, spiteful, nasty, twofaced bi**hes.
Saying that i would not tar everyone with the same brush and now any horse that goes on loan, i have my ways of making sure evrything is happy with my horses

 

[seoirse]

I've got a pony out on loan at the moment with a view to buy. I've been very fortunate as they are wonderful loaners and the pony is very well looked after. I vetted them very thoroughly and was still worried sick for the first few weeks but I've been lucky. I know lots who haven't though. It's always a bit of a gamble cos people are not always the way they seem intially sadly. I hope your pony makes a full recovery and that you have him back now.

 

[nikkiportia]

I've loaned several horses over the years, and never had a single complaint from any owners, so don't assume the word 'loan' means bad home. Thats ridiculous.

At the end of the day, there will always be unsuitable homes whether you loan or sell it is irrelevent. You just need to vet the homes more carefully and ensure you have references!!!

 

[peaceandquiet1]

Loaned her to family on understanding thatshe had an old injury and that I would take her back if it recurred. That was Feb. They have been showing and hacking all summer then went on hol came back she was lame, but not same leg. They took her to a show even though they knew she wasn't right, and had to pull out. They got vet two days later who said lam. Gave bute, no other recommendations. I asked for box rest on full deep bed which was done grudgingly for a week because the yard owner doesn't like either. She was sound, turned back out, then became lame again. A different vet said it was the old injury. No one else had seen a hind lameness. I offered to collect her but they wanted to wait a little. Then she came in "hobbling" from the field and appeared to have colic apparently. Belly heaving, jammed up against the wall. Vet diagnosed kidney infection-no samples taken. Antibi and bute. Loaner asked would I let her take ownership, for free. I went to visit pony. Very quiet. Immobile except for constant feet shifting. Off her food. Bounding pulses in front leg, not the one which she had been lame on. I thought prob lam and asked again for full bed, as she was standing on concrete with back bed only. Loaner now wants me to take her back which i will but I am deeply unhappy about the management. They have refused to treat it as possible lam and have defied all the normal rules of managing it. I am having to ask my own vet to go before I get her home, as I have no idea what is wrong and if it is lam then they have prob gamaged her chances of recovery. Never never never again.

 

[Dizzykizzy]

I've loaned horses out a few times and had some very good experiences that nearly always turned bitter in the end. Luckily the horses never suffered and were always well cared for but my faith in humans has been sorely tested!

 

[DollyCoblet]

Have to say have loaned out 3 of my horses and NEVER EVER AGAIN, why 3 different times with 3 different horses I didnt want to tar all loaners witht the same label but have not found a good one, first horse treated awfully meant to be for adult mum being hurled around woods by her 13year old daughter underweight and covered in marks, second a BSJA mare made sour by over jumping took ages to re-gain confidence when got her back, also made lame and under fed, 3rd horse ruined by being over ridden in wrong tack when her tack was used on another horse she was also under weight and head shy.
There may be one or 2 nice honest loaners out there but the majority are'nt and just take the mick.

Sorry but am very very bitter towards loaners and would never reccomend anyone do it, 3 times bitten 10 times shy.

Please someone add very positive loaning experiacnes to changes everyones mind.

 

[peaceandquiet1]

I've loaned several horses over the years, and never had a single complaint from any owners, so don't assume the word 'loan' means bad home. Thats ridiculous.

At the end of the day, there will always be unsuitable homes whether you loan or sell it is irrelevent. You just need to vet the homes more carefully and ensure you have references!!!

Sorry but home was recommended by mutual trusted contact and was only a problem when pony became unwell and there wasn't agreement about how it should be managed, mainly because their vets do things very differently from ours. You never know how people will react until they are faced with something; there were no problems at all until the pony was unwell.

 

[peaceandquiet1]

Have to say have loaned out 3 of my horses and NEVER EVER AGAIN, why 3 different times with 3 different horses I didnt want to tar all loaners witht the same label but have not found a good one, first horse treated awfully meant to be for adult mum being hurled around woods by her 13year old daughter underweight and covered in marks, second a BSJA mare made sour by over jumping took ages to re-gain confidence when got her back, also made lame and under fed, 3rd horse ruined by being over ridden in wrong tack when her tack was used on another horse she was also under weight and head shy.
There may be one or 2 nice honest loaners out there but the majority are'nt and just take the mick.

Sorry but am very very bitter towards loaners and would never reccomend anyone do it, 3 times bitten 10 times shy.

Please someone add very positive loaning experiacnes to changes everyones mind.

If you had asked me a few weeks ago I would have said they were wonderful loaners and would have recommended them to anyone!

 

[miss_bird]

OK i have a lovely person coming to see one of my horses on sunday for a ride, she came up last sunday and we just spent all the time chatting and getting to know each other and spent time in the field with my horse.
Very reluctant to let him back out on loan as last home completely abused him and he is the sweest horse on the planet.
But as this person is wanting a horse to love and have some fun with if they get on together when riding i am gonna risk again.
Luckily the home is not far from me, and from the time spent with person on sunday i really feel i can trust her.
Keep fingers crossed that all goes well on sunday.
There really are some good loaners out there

 

[Sparkles]

Sorry for your horse and loan out come

I've loaned my mare out twice. First time it went a bit pear shaped and was not happy how she came back to cut a long story short.
Hesitantly put her out on loan once I got her half sorted and down to a less obese state, and luckily she is in the perfect home *touch wood* and am completely happy.

 

[MardyMare]

Sorry to hear about your pony - hope things get better soon for you.

Perhaps they were not experienced enough to deal with any problems (or perhaps didnt want to) I dont know I dont excuse their behaviour. I think I would be nervous loaning out my own horses. Having said that one of my mares (who is very quirky) has a sharer who is fab and I have a veteran (18) on loan. His owner lives abroad and only pays his insurance monthly DD - I cover everything else and he wants for nothing. She keeps saying 'let me know if he needs anything' but he is my responsibility and I love him to bits. I am trying to give him an easier life now (he raced - he evented - he ended up in bad loan home) and he is giving me back my confidence to go cross country and jump again. I agree there are people that really shouldnt have horses on loan (this old boy had one before me) but there are people like me who really cannot afford the cost of a new horse but are willing to love and look after one as though its their own. I know one day he will go back to his owner but I know she would take him back because she loves and misses him but if she doesnt he will stay with me for as long as I can give him the care and love he needs and deserves.

 

[Paddydou]

Sorry but am very very bitter towards loaners and would never reccomend anyone do it, 3 times bitten 10 times shy.

Please someone add very positive loaning experiacnes to changes everyones mind.

I have also had horses on loan the last one and I really did not get on at all in any way shape or form. I organised for him to go on loan to some other people which his owner was happy with and everyone is currently very happy, horse included.

Thats a good story isn't it?

Mine are still not going anywhere.

 

[BSJAlove]

ive loaned and been a loanee. ive never had a problem, i just do plenty of research. ive just had brilliant experiences when ive loaned or have loaned out ponies. perhaps im just lucky lol

 

[peaceandquiet1]

Sorry to hear about your pony - hope things get better soon for you.

Perhaps they were not experienced enough to deal with any problems (or perhaps didnt want to) I dont know I dont excuse their behaviour. I think I would be nervous loaning out my own horses. Having said that one of my mares (who is very quirky) has a sharer who is fab and I have a veteran (18) on loan. His owner lives abroad and only pays his insurance monthly DD - I cover everything else and he wants for nothing. She keeps saying 'let me know if he needs anything' but he is my responsibility and I love him to bits. I am trying to give him an easier life now (he raced - he evented - he ended up in bad loan home) and he is giving me back my confidence to go cross country and jump again. I agree there are people that really shouldnt have horses on loan (this old boy had one before me) but there are people like me who really cannot afford the cost of a new horse but are willing to love and look after one as though its their own. I know one day he will go back to his owner but I know she would take him back because she loves and misses him but if she doesnt he will stay with me for as long as I can give him the care and love he needs and deserves.

Thats it; they weren't experienced enough. They just get the vet and didn't realise the owner might question their vet's decisions.If my horse is ill I go look it all up so I can be informed and laminitis info is readily available. I only wanted them to treat it as suspected lam until proven otherwise but they kept taking her for walks and were not at all happy about the deep bed to the stable door thing. When i saw her this week you couldn't tell which leg was sore, she didn't want to move at all. And that was an hour after her sachet of bute. When she injured her hind leg before although she was very lame she was still mobile and cheerful and I was able to travel her to my vet for the lameness work up. But their vet says she can't travel til next week. If its the same injury its presenting in an entirely different way.

 

[ecrozier]

There are good and bad loaners... And good and bad owners! I had my boy on loan initially for 6 months ( was meant to be long term) then bought him! He was treated like royalty for those six months and still is 7 years later. However I did have a couple of very bad experiences with loaners for my mum's pony including one very similar to OP when it was painfully clear to me she was suffering from lami, but they wouldn't accept this and kept turning her back out. Needless to say she came home. She did then go to a lovely family but that summer of laminitis did permanent damage and she wasn't coping with the level of work they wanted (pc stuff for daughter). However they were lovely about it and looked after her beautifully until we could collect.
It's swings and roundabout I'm afraid, good and bad of everything!

 

[riding_high]

i've been a loaner and loanee.
the horse i loaned to someone was in a good home for 6 months, i then had to move to the other end of the country but kept in contact. spoke on a regular basis and kept being told they were doing well together, horse was in great condition etc etc. one day i had a call from the rspca saying my horse was in their care as it had been starved, left in a field with no water or grass. i arranged to go and see my horse with loads of pics i had of him. the day i got back from seeing him the girl phoned me up to say that they had jumped him in a show the day before..............i told her what she could do with herself and went back to pick my horse up.

the 2 horses i've loaned have been totally different, the one was gifted to me and i've always treated her as if she's my own. i keep in touch with her old owner, although i feel we are joint owners and i run everything past her as well. we get on well and she is happy that her horse is in good hands.
the other one i only had for 9 months, she started to get stressy, dangerous and when i moved my gelding (she still had company) she dropped weight and would panic, i kept in touch with the racing yard i got her from and they gave me advice on how to do deal with her...........after a few months of trying i asked them to take her back as i couldn't see her making it through winter. they took her back and i still keep in touch with them now.

 

[hairycob]

I've been a loanee twice & have been bitten both times - cost me a fortune in Vets bills for pre-existing problems. Even afterwards one owner denied the pony had ever been lame but we had met a previous owner who told us the pony had had the very same problem when she owned him - sold him because he couldn't do the work we wanted him to do!

 

[piggyinablanket]

I've loaned several horses over the years, and never had a single complaint from any owners, so don't assume the word 'loan' means bad home. Thats ridiculous.

At the end of the day, there will always be unsuitable homes whether you loan or sell it is irrelevent. You just need to vet the homes more carefully and ensure you have references!!!

Ditto ditto ditto.

I have had loan horses on and off for more than 15 years. All the horses have gone home in better condition and behaviour than when they came, and were looked after as if they were my own. All my arrangements were proper, contracted, and my owners are ALWAYS informed of everything, etc and welcome to see their horse any time.

I really take offence to people saying loaning a horse is bad, it will be ruined etc. If you SELL your horse why is this different? Do you vet your purchasers differently to to loaners?
Do you think that a 'buyer' will treat it differently, are you guaranteed they wont put unsuitable tack or riders on it, or make it lame? The difference is that when it is sold you are no longer RESPONSIBLE for it and thats where it ends. I think if anyone really cared about the long term future of their horses, a loan home is the one place you can make sure it is OK, and can take it back if things go wrong. A view that loans are bad and sales are good is ABSURD. It makes me mad. Once you sell your horse you will never know what happens to it.

My current loan has been here a month. I adore him as if he were my own and it is a permanant arrangement. He is looked after perfectly, is settled, well and happy.
My childs loan was returned last week as she outgrew him, and I was asked if they found another child (and would I help) could I be a referee for the pony and the loan arrangement? Not unhappy loaners!

Rant over by a good loaner XD

ETA.... OP this is not aimed at you BTW, I am very sorry that your pony is lame. That sucks and I hope you get that resolved.

 

[tontoandtigger]

i feel very sorry for you and your horse. i have never loaned any of mine, i dont think i could. i know vet has said she cant travel but surely she would be better at home with you. you see horses in very poor condition travel to vets ect. if she is going to get better care with you surely it would be the best thing to do. if you dont feel you can move her could you not be at the yard when the vet is looking at her, then you can ask your questions and put point across. good luck hope she is home and well soon

 

[Jojo_Pea4]

We have loaned out one pony and he came back within 6month, as child out grow him. He was well cared for, but not to how he was treated with us. We decided its easier to sell him. I couldnt loan out my horse as he's to difficult and I know in the wrong hands it could end up ruining him.

We loan out Welsh mare and it was through a friend, we treat her as if we own her and would look after her if any health problems as we would my horse. I sometimes think people dont have the proper understanding and knowledge when a horse is ill.

 

[Dowjones]

I have also been the loaner and the loanee. I had one pony out on loan for a year, and recently got a phonecall telling me pony had died a few days earlier. Aparantly my little B was sick for a few days and going downhill and i wasnt told a word about it. I would have gone straight up to be with him, and personally i would have had him pts rather then suffer for the few days he did.

I also have one mare out on laon who's with super people who love her and do everything for her, even though shes in her 20's now and not as ridable.

We have one horse on loan who gets treated like the rest of our own ones do (he has the most expensive upkeep, lol) and we'll do what it takes to keep him happy and healthy.

 

[MissMincePie&Brandy]

I agree, the only loans I have known have ended in tears.

In my opinion an owner should only loan out their horse if they are fully aware and accept that in the event the horse breaks down, it will come back to them and often at short notice. If an owner is not able to accept this, then they should sell rather than loan the horse, while it has more youth and is in good health.

And...on the loaners side, they also need to be aware that all the time, effort, money and schooling they put into a horse can be taken away from them if the owner decides they want the horse back!

All the handshakes and verbal agreements, and pieces of paper end up being worth squat in reality, and horses are expensive animals and emotions can run high.

I would never be involved in a loan. If I need help, I will advertise for a rider, and try and keep it more of a business arrangement, than an emotional arrangement.

 

[Groom42]

I sent a pony mare out on long term loan when she was being brought back into work after a check ligament injury. The agreement was that any vets fees relating to the original injury would be paid by myself. She was brought back into work very slowly, and 18 months later was doing PC and the child had progressed beyond all expectations. She then "did" another leg, and the loanees gave her a year off, and all the care she required, before bringing her back again. Unfortunately she then "did" a third leg, and they were unable to keep her, as child wanted to continue doing all her PC activities. Much to their distress, we took her home, and tried to find a companion home for her. The night before she was due to meet her "companion" the loanees rang asking if they could have her back, they had managed to find extra land to accommodate her,as well as new pony. Even though the chances were she would never be up for much ever again, they loved her and were prepared to offer her a home for life. They have now had her six years - we had her 10 months. I couldn't have asked for a better loan home, and feel she is far more their pony now than ours!

 

[peaceandquiet1]

Update-my vet (orthopaedic equine specialist) is phoning their vet to try to establish what is going on.

I agree about the travelling though when I saw her Tuesday she couldn't even get out of the stable so couldn't really act.

When she originally sprained her stifle she was very lame but still very mobile if you see what I mean, you could trot her up for the vet, she wasn't shut down like she was this week.

 

[kp31]

I will never loan one of mine out again. It was only due to my serious injury that i had to, and in 4 months they turned my beautiful mare into a bag of bones and half horse she was,it was hideous, i cried for months every time i took her rug. It got to the stage that OH banned me from taking it off as it upset me so much. She was only 6, i kept as close an eye on her as possible, but still it didn't work out. She has now had a year off and is a different horse. What amazes me is people won't take your advice or help, it wasn't a situation i would normally be in but circumstances meant i had to do something. They were thoroughly vetted, yard visited, everything done properly, yet it went wrong. I have heard to many horror stories to ever let it happen again. That is not tarring all people with the same brush, but my personal experience.

We have also had a loan pony for a year and she has been treated like a princess. She is going home today and it will be a very sad day, but she has been outgrown. I would like to think we have been good loanees.